


Winter and Amber

by AtomicV



Series: Stargate Atlantis Legacy Continued (title WIP) [1]
Category: Stargate Atlantis, Stargate Atlantis: Legacy Series - Various Authors
Genre: Angst and Humor, Blood and Injury, Enemies to Friends, F/M, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Out of Character, Rating May Change, Self-Insert, Torture, We need more Stargate Atlantis!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:48:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23870026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtomicV/pseuds/AtomicV
Summary: -There wasn’t really any situation more worthy of the term ‘screwed’ than being wrapped up tightly in a cocoon on board a wraith spaceship.-Amber wakes after being taken up in a wraith culling and has to find away to work alongside a fellow escapee from the wraith cruiser. Both struggle to trust each other as Amber fights to get back to Atlantis and her wraith companion tries to get back to his own hive.(FYI This is a super self-indulgent self-insert story with lots of OCs)
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Wraith Character, Teyla Emmagan/John Sheppard
Series: Stargate Atlantis Legacy Continued (title WIP) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1720264
Comments: 25
Kudos: 37





	1. Jailbreak

**Author's Note:**

> So this fanfic idea has been in my head for years and after taking in as much SGA content I could find I decided to make some of my own. This story takes place at the end of the legacy series but I don't think you have to had read it to understand what's going on in my fic. Gosh I hate the title but I had to call it something.
> 
> Fair warning there is a bit of torture and blood in this chapter
> 
> This is my first fanfiction ever and is basically a super indulgent self-insert story so please be gentle with any feedback. Enjoy!

Amber’s hearing was muffled but from what she managed to hear; she knew she was in trouble. She struggled against restraints, trying not to let the rising panic take hold. Soft whimpers and pleas for mercy from her fellow captives echoed in the darkened chamber. There wasn’t really any situation more worthy of the term ‘screwed’ than being wrapped up tightly in a cocoon on board a wraith spaceship. Sinewy ropes were wrapped tightly around her ankles, wrists and neck. The organic material was flesh like, suffocating, it only gave when she pulled with all her strength. Any movement or shift she could manage was exhausting, but she had to get her bearings.

The room they were in was more of a hallway with tall maroon colored archways looking like ribs. Fortunately, the alcoves in front of her were empty, but there had to be several people lined up next to her just out of her periphery vision. Deep blue light shone from above, casting the corners of the room in shadow. Her chest tightened. 

There wasn’t much else to do except wait for rescue. Maybe pray that whoever came for them would get there in time. If anyone was coming at all. The planet, whatever it was called, was probably still being culled, with the stargate dialed out and inaccessible. That was assuming they were anywhere near the planet. There was no way to tell how long she had been suspended in the cocoon, passed out and dead to the world. 

Amber had been looking forward to this day all month, she was spending time with her friends from New Athos. They had agreed to let her tag along on a day trip to the local settlement for trade. In hindsight, it probably would have been a good idea to ask what the planet was called, and who the people were. Amber was just too excited to go off to another alien world and explore instead of being stuck in a lab. Although her friend Arya seemed to be a bit young to be on her own she appeared confident traveling without her parents. Arya had reassured Amber, somewhat exasperated, that she had been through the stargate by herself many times.

The morning spent at the market had been a nice change of pace from Atlantis. It was hot and humid, and the sun melted away the chilly ache that had set in from the city. Booths and tables were filled with all types of colorful goods, trinkets and, most important, delicious exotic foods. That part of the day had been her favorite, but it was cut short when the sharp whine of darts flew overhead. Her spoils forgotten; Amber had run with Arya to the edge of the village taking cover in the nearby tree line. By some miracle, they dodged the culling beams. Amber marched Arya to the nearest tree covered ravine to hide a safe distant from the village.

Recalling what happened next was difficult, the memory foggy. Arya had promised to remain hidden while she went back to the village to find the rest of their friends. Wraith darts swooped in and out of sight, diving towards the ground and pulling away, turning sharply just before crashing. Amber knew she had run back to the market. Probably right before being beamed up and knocked out cold.

“Arya? Arya you in here?” she croaked out of a cottony mouth, coughing on the next breath. She struggled with an angry huff trying to get more leverage against her bonds.

She froze at the sound of several footsteps, her back going stiff. The footfalls of heavy boots were loud, so probably not a covert SG team coming to save the day. The young man in the cell next to her own burst into tears. Amber hadn’t even known he was there. She started pulling her bonds in a frenzy now, they were gradually coming loose by fractions. It would never be fast enough to break free. Break free for what? Take on an entire ship full of hungry wraith and make a daring escape?

She took in a few shaky breaths before the group of wraiths turned into the chamber. They wore the usual wraith garb, black slacks and tops, clad in floor length leather coats. They all had long white hair tied and styled with more finesse than Amber had ever cared to do to her own. The three wraiths began pacing up and down the cells, sizing up their meals. The soft whimpers of the prisoners became desperate. The poor guy next her was hysterical now. Breaking down and crying didn’t seem like a bad idea actually. Every single one of them knew what was about to happen. Tall and menacing, the wraith in their section at first glance seemed indifferent to what was happening. The wraith’s clawed feeding hand open and closed. Her chest tightened when wraith lock eyes with the man right next to her. 

His next victim.

“Oh- oh god no! Please, please don’t!” He screamed and cried as the wraith ripped away the cocoon fibers and the young man’s shirt. She couldn’t look away. There was no escaping this. Growling fiercely the wraith punched his claws in and began to feed.

In that moment there was nothing else as the man’s face turned from young to old in agony, drained of all life.

The wraith bared its long sharp teeth angling his face upward in a euphoric expression. The man’s cries before were nothing, his screams now would be his last. All Amber could hear was that gurgling yelling and blood rushing to her ears until all that was left was her pounding heart. She had been holding her breath and now was gasping, unable to scream.

The wraith pulled back his bloodied hand from what remained, a withered husk. He had the gall to turn and grin at her. The wraith locked his hungry gaze on her chest and began clawing away at her own cocoon. Amber could hardly breathe, sucking in air forcefully.

She had passed on participating in Dr. Keller’s vaccine study, essentially making a wraith feeding survivable. By all reports the new treatment was safe, with manageable side effects. Her gut told her to wait, there was no way the treatment’s long-term effects, and eventual safety could be known at this point.   
Seeing as now, she would die sooner rather than later turned her stomach to ice. 

She’d be happy to kick herself if she wasn’t tied up. 

The wraith gave a satisfied hiss after freeing the upper half of her body. He violently gripped her neck with his left hand gagging her and slowly drew up his right feeding hand. Poised to strike.

Abruptly, he jerked back and turned away, releasing her. He tilted his head toward his fellow wraith, communicating wordlessly to them. It was one thing to read a mission brief about wraith, it was another to see them in action using their telepathy.  
A chill spread from her core up across her skin, not knowing what was being said only a few inches away was unsettling.

Whatever it was seemed to end the feeding frenzy, Amber sagged against what would have been her coffin. All the wraith stalked out of the room, filled with some purpose, some goal. Bringing more pain and misery to the galaxy most likely. Her ankles and wrists were still tied but now she had more leverage to move. Her neck was sore but free and she was able to fully turn and see what had happened in the cells next to her own. She let out a strangled cry, recognizing the dried out husks. These people had been alive and breathing just minutes ago. Their existence had been snuffed out. Years of life cruelly ripped away. Could one of them have been Arya?

There was no way to tell now, their bodies’ brown mouths gaping open.

The reality of what was happening caught up with her with a punch to the gut. Her meal from hours before came up, burning her throat all the way. Her stomach emptied and mouth turned sour she began to sob. No one was coming to save them; it had been pure luck she had been passed over. It was only a matter of time before some wraith came to finish her off. 

No, no way, there had to be something. Odds where she would die here, the wraith would come back eventually to finish what they started. 

There were two options same as before. Try to wriggle free and get away to who knows where, or how. Or, wait passively for death as a sobbing, vomit covered mess. That image was disgusting and waiting around to die was just stupid.

Inhaling deep, she began pulling on the restraints once more. They seemed almost fragile now, ready to break. Crying in relief, her right arm became free. Now she had a chance, a slim one but a chance either way. It didn’t take too long to get completely free and she stepped out of the cell on shaky legs. Nearly slipping and taking a tumble, she gripped the cell walls and made her way out of the corridor. It split off into two more corridors, all lined with cells full of people. People waiting to die, people she couldn’t save. She couldn’t look at their faces, the only person she had any chance of saving was herself.

Leaving the feeding cells behind, Amber made her way through a maze of tunnels that all looked the same until she saw her first doorway. It was a double door with a rigged inlay that looked again like a set of ribs and stretched flesh. Trembling she palmed the entry key, edging in swiftly. The room was small and dark like the rest of the ship with mist hanging low along the walls.

Piles of the belongings from the wraiths human victims were placed around the room, overflowing off of several tables. Sorting through the debris she found her gun and holster and quickly strapped it back on. It brought up her chances of getting out up about a hair’s breadth, but at least it made her feel better to have her gun back. There were clothes too and Amber only hesitated a moment before putting on a fresh shirt. Well a shirt that didn’t stink like vomit at least.

Just as she was shrugging on an oversized coat more screams sounded out in the distance. Another innocent man losing his life to the wraith. Teeth chattering, she finished grabbing her coat with clumsy hands. She knew that she couldn’t save everyone but maybe, just maybe one would be enough. It’d probably be the last thing she’d ever do. Newfound stubbornness sprang from within, overturning her sense of self preservation. If she was going to die today, she’d go down kicking and screaming, fighting for what she believed in. She wouldn’t be able to live with the guilt of leaving someone she could save behind.   
Kind of went against the company motto.

Amber peeked out and surveyed the hall, checking for wraith before stepping into the corridor, staying close to the walls. As she drew closer there was that same intense shrieking echoing further along. It stopped every few moments and then started again with renewed pain. Amber’s mouth ran dry, if this man was being fed upon, he’d be dead by now. That cheery fact was fresh in her mind. She swiftly drew closer and closer, passing several doorways. The ceiling arches above changed, spread open like tree branches letting in an intricate pattern of pale light. She could feel the gradual decline deeper into the hive, which couldn’t bode well for any possible escape. 

Finally, she came up to the corner turning into the hallway that held the dying man. Without hesitating Amber turned into the room and stopped dead in her tracks. It had to be some kind of twisted laboratory, filled with exam tables and consoles inlaid with computer screens. The doorway was elevated, two slopes with knobby railings led into the murky recessed floor. 

One wraith, with a shaved head and single braid was bent over the exam table. The wraith on the table was tied down, half naked. Chest cut and flayed open, his skin peeled back and kept in place with black needles. The scientist took his wicked looking blade and cut into the prisoner’s exposed insides. Dark green blood seeped out over the incisions and flowed off the table. The prisoner’s breath was ragged, increasing in speed until he sobbed.

She should just turn around and run, getting away as fast as she could. It was no business of hers if they decided to kill each other. One less wraith to worry about. But how could she leave him, even a wraith, to this fate? She had been determined to save someone, not that any wraith would ever show her such mercy. But she wasn’t a wraith, she was a decent human being and her choice became clear. If she had the power, she had to act.

It felt like minutes crawled by, Amber standing there dumbfounded as this scientist/torturer cut into his subject. It could only have been a moment because the scientist whipped his head around with an irritated growl. Amber didn’t know when she’d lifted her gun or clicked the safety off, but she could feel every bullet as she emptied the entire ammo clip. The wraith, wide eyed, stumbled down to the ground landing face first onto the floor with a loud thud. Amber, shaking, dropped her gun and rushed down to the wraith prisoner.

Taking in panicky breaths she pulled out the needles, trying to be gentle. All the while the prisoner groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. Tossing the needles aside, she pulled up the flayed skin back in place and held it there. Blood continued to ooze out of the incisions staining her hands. Wraith were supposed to heal incredibly fast, within seconds of injury, not minutes.

But his cuts weren't closing. What the heck?

Almost at that thought the wounds began to heal, the pieces of skin knitting back together. Slowly, the wound closed completely leaving an angry looking Y shaped scar that was slowly fading.

The wraith’s features became slack, his pale face drained. His sensor pits, one on each side of his nose lay flat and his skin was stretched tight across his cheeks. Amber watched his chest rise and fall, covered with more pale green tinged skin. Dark ichor stuck to her fingers. 

“Set me free, please” the wraith gazed at her resting hands, panting.

“I can get us both off this ship,” he gasped, “if you take bindings off, human look at me,” Startled, Amber looked up from her bloody hands.

“Get these bindings off, hurry.”

“Okay, okay just hold on” she’d come to her senses and began ripping the bindings off while walking around the table. Once he was free though, she started having second thoughts. There was a high chance that this wraith would turn and feed on her rather than help. She veered backward, nearly stepping on top of the dead wraith on the floor.

The prisoner slowly sat up, gripping the side of the table with another groan.

“We must leave before we are discovered,” he explained “if you want escape, you will follow me.” Hesitating he added, “I will not harm you.”

She raised her gun and pointed it at him. Hopefully he didn’t realize that she was out of ammo.

“Right, and what’s stopping you from just making a quick meal out of me.” her eyes narrowed, “Should I just take you at your word?”

“My word, human, is all that I have. It will be enough, or it will not. The choice is yours but choose quickly.”

Amber weighed her options, holstering her now useless gun and letting her hands rest on her hips. She considered the floor intently, searching for a way out of this situation. The floor was covered in blood, and other fluids. She looked back up into the face of the prisoner, he stared back at her with yellow green cat eyes. 

“All right, we’ll team up for now until we get out of this mess. Deal?” She held out her right hand to shake before she thought better of it. She was committed, however awkward the movement was. 

He cocked his head to the side, sizing her up. “We have a deal. Let us get out of ‘this mess’ quickly.” He didn't shake her hand. 

“Good, let’s get the hell out of here.”

Shit what had she kind of deal had gotten herself into? 

She approached him cautiously as he slid off the table. He almost sank down to the floor but she caught his arm. Panting, he straightened and pushed forward, shoving her hands away. All right that was a bit rude she thought, but she couldn’t blame him. Going through a vivisection while conscious was nightmarish to even imagine, let alone go through.

She followed him up to the doorway. He had made it out to the hallway, leaning against the wall. Alarm klaxons began sounding as she crossed the threshold.

“Oh crap!” Amber recoiled at the obnoxious siren shielding her ears. 

“We have been discovered.” The prisoner groaned out through clenched teeth. 

“Yeah I can hear that, we have to keep moving.” 

“It is pointless, there is no way to get to the darts. There will be dozens of wraith searching for us now.” The prisoner sagged against the doorway, defeated. 

“NO! We can’t give up. There has to be another way!” Amber’s voice racketed up a few notches. All of her efforts, going down into the depths of the ship, risking her own life, couldn't be allowed to go to waste. 

The corridor they were in began to slant and a distant explosion rocked the ship. Amber fell hard on her knees as the wraith sprawled out onto his chest. She tried getting up but came crashing down again. Another explosion, closer this time, shook them violently.

“Is that what I think it is!?” she shouted

“Weapons fire, the cruiser is under attack.”

“That’s good right? They’ll be too busy to bother with us.”

The wraith turned with an unimpressed glare. He picked himself up and stayed crouched on the ground.

“No, this is not good. They will still search for us. Now we are trapped on a ship that will certainly to be destroyed.”

“How can you know that?” she stood bracing herself. “How could you possibly know that?” He didn’t answer.

“What did you, sabotage the ship or something? Rig it to explode.” She had been joking of course, staring at him in disbelief while he simply answered her with a shrug. So it was going to explode!?

“Oh great, isn’t there escape pods or something?” 

He paused for a moment, seemingly to weigh the options and if it was worth it. Amber was about ready to get up and get out of there on her own until he finally spoke up. 

“Yes, but it’s too far. We will be detected.” He was shaking his head, sagging against the wall, already giving up.

“That’s quitter talk. We have to try, we can’t stop. Come on, get up!” She tugged at his arm.

The wraith didn’t shove her away this time. He seemed confused for a moment, allowing her to pull him back up to his feet. Pushing around an angry wraith wasn’t the brightest idea, but she needed him to get with the program. There was no way she was going to find the escape pods on her own.

“Very well, follow closely and do exactly as I say.” He spoke pointedly, and it looked like she would have to trust him for now. Without another word he took off down the hall.

Between the bombardment and dodging the wraith patrols it was slow going. The ship pitched and shook with each blast, occasionally knocking them off their feet. From her limited perspective, their ship must be losing this battle. She could only hope. Maybe it would keep them too busy to bother with two escaped prisoners.

They both turned down into a much larger corridor one wall lined with what appeared to be escape pod hatches. 

The way seemed clear, Amber rushed ahead to the nearest pod and was violently pulled away. She whipped around to face, not the prisoner but a strange growling wraith. His fu-man-chu beard would have been laughable if he hadn’t pinned her to the wall with a steel grip around her neck.

She reached out scrapping and clawing uselessly as her vision darkened. He was choking the life out of her. 

The crushing weight stopped, and Amber slid down the wall gasping for air. Seeing stars her vision blurred, then came into focus. The two wraith, the prisoner and the stranger were grappling with each other. The prisoner broke free sidestepping the stranger. Dodging hits and throwing punches. It was a challenge to follow their movements. The opposing wraith swung out his fists wildly snarling in frustration. The prisoner rolled away, unpredictable in his movements.

Her wraith twisted and kicked out, his blow connected and knocked away the stunner the other wraith been pulling up. The prisoner kicked out again striking his chest. The enemy wraith dodged, pulling out a blade from his boot. Amber wanted to shout out a warning but couldn't get a sound out as wraith twisted forward, taking several cutting swipes at the prisoner with his dagger. Eyes wide, the prisoner stumbled and dropped to his knees, gripping his side as he fell.

The strange wraith got in close and slammed into him, sending the prisoner sprawling toward the opposite wall. He landed with a sickening crunch. The other wraith turned back to her. Amber dove for the stun gun and was a bare few inches away when the wraith was on top of her. Wind knocked out of her, she struggled against the wraith trying to haul her up. She reached out. Her fingers grazed the handle of the stunner sending it spinning away. The wraith whipped her up by her collar and dragged her to the nearest escape pod.

He pulled her across the floor, flinging open one of the hatches and tossing her in like a rag-doll. Pain shot up her elbow and shoulder as she landed. The wraith snarled in satisfaction this time. He was getting off a sinking ship and with all the provisions he’d need to survive. Assuming there would be a habitable planet close by to escape to. Amber tried to pull herself up, to get away. Losing her balance, she fell back down on the floor trembling. She let out a soft cry as he approached, throat constricting in panic. 

Just as he hunched over and crawled inside the wraith froze. Blue electricity rippled across his hulking frame as he fell nose first onto the floor of the pod. There the prisoner stood just outside the pod, breathing heavily, stunner in hand. He held his side and holstered the weapon, gripping the unconscious wraith by his legs. In an instant, he had pulled him out of the pod and climbed in himself, sealing the hatch shut.

Taking in some deep breaths, Amber stumbled up from the floor into one of the two grooved seats set into the wall of the pod. The prisoner crouched over what looked like the controls and a computer display came on. The language was all in wraith of course, but she kept a close eye on what he was doing. He was manipulating the controls and pressing buttons, but it was sloppy, hurried. That couldn’t bode well.

“Hey, are you alright? You took quite a beating back there.” The prisoner gave her a brief glance, eyes narrowed.

“I mean crap that’s not - I would be dead if it wasn’t for you or worse. So, thanks.” 

He stopped and turned, face serious. “Do not thank me, we are not out of danger yet. Do you see this?” He pointed a clawed finger to a sphere on the display. “This is the planet we are orbiting. It has a viable atmosphere and most importantly a stargate-”

“That’s great we might just get out of this in one piece!” She interrupted. Her excitement died as his stern expression turned into a scowl.

“Sorry, so what’s the catch?”

“The stargate is located on the opposite side of the planet. From my cursory examination, there will not be enough fuel to stay on auto pilot and land anywhere near it” He paused turning stiffly back to the controls. “By my calculations, if we manage to land at all, it will take weeks to reach the stargate.” 

“So, it’ll take a while to get there, but it can be done. Better than staying on this cruiser. Right?” She tried to get his attention, at least to look in her direction again but the wraith had gone still.

“If I let the pod automatically calculate the decent, our chances of surviving planet fall will increase, but it will take too long to reach the stargate.” He turned fully to face her. 

“I will attempt to manually pilot the escape pod as close as is safe, but if there is the slightest error we could easily burn up in the atmosphere. The trajectory of decent will be severe, the hull may not withstand the forces of re-entry.”

“I see…” she said.

“I am not sure if you do.” he said. He finally turned to look directly at her unflinching. Realization dawned as she turned away from him, chewing on her lip. He was a wraith and he’d been severely injured. He would need to feed soon, probably as soon as they landed. 

She should be terrified with the fact that her partner in crime would, logically, feed on her at the first opportunity. But if he needed to feed on her in order to heal, why hadn’t he? What was stopping him from killing her now? Her gut told her he wouldn’t turn on her yet, possibly that he didn’t want to. Which was a ridiculous notion. Her intuition hadn’t really been reliable lately.

“If it’s possible to get even closer to the gate then let’s take the risk. We don’t even know what conditions are like down there, do we?” The wraith shook his head.

“I am not familiar with this planet and the scanners capabilities are limited. We could be landing on a frozen waste or a burning desert.”

“Then let’s get as close as possible, as long as you agree of course. I can’t fly this thing that’s for sure. I’m kind of at your mercy.” she tried to sound casual as her voice cracked

He blinked at that and Amber felt her face grow hot. She better not say anything else and make herself sound like more of an idiot. 

“Then it is decided, use the safety harness and prepare yourself for decent human.”

He turned to the controls and concentrated on the screen, shifting into his seat.

Amber fumbled with the safety belts but managed to get strapped in tight. She had been on lots of planes and never considered herself a nervous flyer. Being on a plane was the closest thing she could think of that could possibly compare to this. The pod shook, detaching from the cruiser. Her stomach sank as they became weightless.

Minutes passed as the pod drifted closer to the planet.

“What will happen, after we land? If you pilot us within range of the stargate, and if we can survive on the planet surface, and get to safety, what then?”

The wraith slumped back into his seat letting go of the controls, and Amber could now see how exhausted he was as he let out a deep sigh. 

“Will our deal end? Will I feed on you? Isn’t that what you want to ask?”

“You don’t mince words do you.” she said

There was an abrupt jerk, the pod gradually started shaking intensely. Desperately clinging to anything within reach she braced herself. Jaw clenching, her neck snapping painfully as the pod jerked forward. The wraith began shouting, but whatever he said was lost in the roar of the burning atmosphere around them. Fighting to stay awake darkness crept into view overcoming everything in a single moment.


	2. Deluge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp here's the next chapter. Warning for a graphic drowning scene.

Winter woke, his instinct kicking in before any logical thought. He flailed his arms and latched onto the nearest seat, pulling himself up off the floor of the pod. All the controls were dead. The emergency lights had switched on, casting an orange hue across the confined surroundings. 

He could smell his own fresh blood and gripped his side, feeling the ooze of a wound not quite healed. Salty water covered the floor and came up to his ankles as he sloshed forward. The human was passed out in her seat, neither of them could resist blacking out due to the high G-forces in their descent. It was a wonder that they were alive at all, and in one piece.

How long had they been unconscious? The water rose at an alarming rate, seeping in from some small fracture in the pod. Controls and navigation had stopped working after the pod entered the atmosphere. There was no way to know where they had landed on the planet.   
They could be in an ocean or a river. It didn’t matter since they were sinking fast, if the rising water was any indication. Winter bent down to unclasp the small human from her seat, careful not to let her fall to the floor. Grasping her shoulders, he tried a few experimental shakes to wake her, with no affect.

She was pale and unresponsive but otherwise unharmed. He set her back into the seat and gathered water into his hands. He tossed it into her face earning him a startled squeak. She came fully awake in a moment.

“What happened?” she said

“We have crashed on the planet, but we are still in danger. The pod is filling with water.” He said

Her eyes went wide and the sweet scent of fear soaked into his senses. The human got up from her seat launching herself forward. She stumbled into him and he caught her before she could fall to the ground. She was trembling.

“Did we land in the ocean!?” Terror pitched high in her voice. He gripped her arms once more and gave her a gentle shake. The girl could not afford to panic now. Being paralyzed by fear would certainly kill just as well as any physical injury.

“Focus, do not let fear overwhelm you.” He just held her there firmly as she stilled in his grip. Her panic slowly subsided, she gripped his forearm steadying herself. Taking in a few deep breaths she regained her composure.

“Okay, okay just need to focus. Let’s get out of here. First off, can we get out of here?”

He shook his head. “We must wait, the pressure of the water will not permit opening the latch until it is equalized. The pod must completely fill with water before we can escape.”

“How long have we gotta wait?” Winter noted that the freezing water had crept past his thighs.

“It will not be long, 60 to 90 seconds at most.” He said

“What do you need to do me to do?” She asked.

Winter shook his head. “There is not much for you to do, except stay out of my way and do not hinder our escape. I would assume that we are still under a truce?”

“Yeah of course, we made a deal and, no offense, I’m not sure if this qualifies as landing. Is there anything we can take with us.”

He stepped to the side and opened up a secured compartment. It contained a basic survival kit, a tent and other equipment to make shelter. It did not contain any flotation devices which was a glaring oversight in this instance. He slung the kit over his shoulder.

“Besides this, no there is nothing. If we take anything else, it will only encumber our exit.” The pod canted to the side and they both slid down to the opposite wall of the pod. Winter gripped the wall just barely in time to stop himself from falling on top of the human.

“The water is freezing jeez!” she wrapped her arms around herself. The obvious statement however true grated on his frayed nerves.

“Yes, I’ve noticed.” he said flatly. 

“So, when we open the hatch, we’ll make a break for the surface. Then what?”

“Honestly, I do not know. I have never encountered a situation such as this. We may yet perish.”

“Well that’s a comfort.” she sighed tightening the grip on her arms. 

The risk of drowning was becoming all too real as the water rose to his chest. Winter had always thought he would die in space, piloting a dart weaving tightly through battle, until he was blown out into the void. Dying in an instant, with almost no pain in service of his hive and queen. It was an honorable death, unlike what he would experience now.

Dying as a traitor, as a coward who struggled for nothing but his own survival.

The frozen water surged into the craft and it wasn’t long before it rose to his neck. It burned his skin, it was so cold, leaving numbness in its wake.   
He braced himself against the entrance port of the craft, ready to open as soon as the pressure allowed it.

The human female stood beside him taking in big gulps of air preparing for the last rush of water before being fully submerged. She looked up at him her brow furrowed and mouth a grim line.

“Know how to swim?” she offered.

“Yes, but I have not in many years” He blinked with the unsettling realization that he would have to actually swim to the surface and perhaps much further. His stomach flipped and squeezed threateningly.

“Don’t worry, it’ll come back to you.” the half smile on her face made a brief appearance before being replaced with that determined look once more.

How the human could jest at a time like this was beyond him. Despite her initial panic, she seemed to relax. As if waiting for a lift to arrive, or for the stargate to dial out. 

Winter squinted his eyes tightly shut as water overtook them both and began to push against the hatch. It wouldn’t budge, and after a few seconds the breath he was holding erupted from his straining lungs. His eyes opened against the sting of saltwater, looking to see if he’d missed the hatch mechanism. His feet slipped along the bottom of the floor as he lost the grip he desperately needed. The human, still seemed quite serene, barely moving. She stayed out of his way as much as it was possible in the dimly lit water.

He gave another heaving push against the latch with no success. Chest growing tight with lack of oxygen. the temptation to take in a breath warred against instinct to absolutely not breath in the water. Precious seconds pasted as he pulled furiously against the hatch a fourth and fifth time. The human opened her eyes, positioning herself between the wall and hatch and began to pull at it herself. She hung on, and as he made his sixth attempt to pull it open, it finally gave way.

He pushed up and through the opening away from the sinking pod. His limbs heavy and weighed down as his long coat dragged against the water. The human, although short limbed, took long strokes upward, lifting herself further above him. Winter swam up with all his might, barely getting anywhere.   
He kicked chaotically, pulling himself upward and crested the surface just as a wave crashed over him.

Inky black water surrounded him, falling from the sky in a downpour. Lightening strobed violently through the dark clouds above momentarily illuminating the depths beneath them. Blinking rapidly, Winter tried to clear his vision, seeing nothing but the raging sea. Another wave crashed overhead catching him off-guard. 

He promptly gulped and inhaled seawater. The water scorched his throat and lungs as he spat and choked it up before taking another breath. Wave after wave overwhelmed him, forcing more water into his belly and lungs. Winter’s whole body shook against the freezing water as his arms and legs became numb, ineffective against the rising waves.

Fiery light lit up the darkened sky above. Winter looked up to see a large fireball falling into the ocean nearby. Even in the dark, Winter was able to see the outline of a wraith cruiser plummeting toward the surface. He stopped struggling, watching the ship crash into the water.   
On impact the craft exploded, becoming fully engulfed in flames. Winter turned to take in his surroundings while he still had enough light to see. 

The human was keeping her head above water, but only just. Behind her in the distance he saw land, no more than a few hundred feet away. Winter turned back to the crashing ship and let out a silent gasp, as a sizeable wave rushed towards them. The wake of the crashed ship was at least a dozen meters high.   
Winter swam, or rather floundered into the opposite direction but didn’t make much progress. 

Lungs already burdened with painful injuries, he fought to take in each shuddering breath. One last push away to safety. He was pulled once more under the water, being tugged and pushed by waves with such force, his bag and coat were flung off.

He was being dragged where; he couldn’t guess as he fought to right himself. Once the force of the wave eased, he tried to orient himself, taking several seconds to do so. Lifting his head just above the surface he took in a ragged, water laden breath.

His heart pumped painfully, constricting tighter as he struggled to keep his head above the water. His shout was silenced by the next wave and the weight of exhaustion pulled him deeper into the darkness. He pushed forward and found that his head was still just below the surface. His fingers reached out above the water but there was nothing to hold onto, no savior to pull him out. Darkness tunneled his vision until he lost consciousness.

///////

Amber had watched the ship crash and was swept away by the shock wave that had followed. It was both terrifying and a relief letting the rush of water push her toward salvation. Between dodging under waves and treading water land was in sight. She would get to shore. She began, taking long practiced strokes toward land, carefully timing the waves coming in, using them to propel her forward.

She’d had enough sense to kick off her boots and pants, throwing off her jacket as well. Unencumbered, she swam freely, setting a punishing pace toward land. Better to be embarrassed by the lack of clothes than sink to the bottom of the ocean. The wraith gasped and thrashed next to her, but her full focus was on keeping herself afloat.

Finally, she felt the bottom, kicking into the nearest rock. Her big toe got the brunt of it. Bending down in pain, Amber tumbled under with the next wave. As she clawed her way forward, she planted her feet on the rocky bottom of the shore. She crawled on her hands and knees onto the beach and collapsed halfway out of the water. She just lied there for a few moments, basking in the simple pleasure of having solid ground under her. Not floating in outer space or floating in water, but pure simple earth that held her securely in place.

Amber could see her breath hang in the air, and as happy as she was with just existing on the beach. she needed to get dry, maybe find shelter from the storm. every muscle in her body protested, but she sat up and staggered to her feet finding balance. She froze. Out in the water not far from shore, a limp body was floating near the surface. A man with long white hair. Amber cursed herself. How could she forget, however briefly, that she wasn’t alone.

Amber rushed back into the icy water, stepping up high against the waves crashing onto the rocks and swam out to meet the wraith. He wasn’t moving and his face was as white as his hair, angled to the side. She let out a small groan at seeing him so lifeless, a drowned corpse. Amber grabbed his arms and pulled them around her shoulders and neck. Securing his hands with one of her own she swam back to the shore. She tugged his dead weight for minutes, coughing up a few accidental gulps of water until she reached the rocky shore. She dragged him up to the beach and fell down to her knees.

What happened next, CPR? Mouth to mouth? Wraith anatomy couldn’t be too different from a human’s. Raking her hand through her hair she bent down and saw the he wasn’t breathing. Mouth to mouth it is. Carefully, she lifted his head up and pushed his jaw down revealing to neat rows of needle like teeth. Before she plunged forward, she thought for a half a second that catching her lips on his teeth wouldn’t be fun. Pushing that thought aside, she bent down and gingerly put her mouth over his, blowing her breath into him. She blew in a few more breathes until, to her relief, the wraith began coughing, spewing up water and bile. Thankfully she pulled herself away before he could vomit into her mouth.

Still coughing, the wraith struggled to sit up but settled with propping himself up onto his side. Around them, the beach and surrounding landscape was barely visible, between the rainstorm and the nighttime darkness. Amber slid down from her knees to sit on the sand, the cold air sending a shiver through her body. All she wanted to do was drift off to sleep in a queen size bed with a comforter straight out of the dryer. She lifted her head toward the wraith. Now that they were safely ashore, how long was their shaky truce supposed to last?

///////////

Winter lay quietly in the sand, coming to terms with what had just transpired. The human, once again, had taken it upon herself to save him. Out in the depths, he knew he would die. He’d accepted it, almost welcomed the peace that eternal sleep would bring despite the terror of drowning. He didn’t expect the human to pull him out of the water and resuscitate him. He hadn’t expected to be rescued from the clutches of the so called cleverman aboard the cruiser either. No matter how much he’d been through, it seemed the fates still needed him alive and bloodied.

Aching, he sat up, trying not to startle the girl away. She was watching him with a mix of unease and oddly, concern. She didn’t stir or try to flee, looking on in the silence of the exhausted. Dark brown hair plastered onto her face, her pale skin bruised in blotches of purple on her bare arms and legs. The poor dirty creature had lost half of her clothing in all the chaos. 

“Guess I saved you, again. Your welcome by the way.” she said facing his general direction.

She gave him a good-natured smile of all things and a little part of him snapped. It was bad enough that his life had been on a collision course with death all day. Needing a human to save him was the epitome of weakness. Her mocking smile was more than he could bare.

“I never asked you to help me!” he yelled. He got to his feet, giving her a nasty snarl.

The girl stood up and drew closer to him, crossing into his personal space. Her whole body trembled with rising anger as much as with the wind coming in from the sea. 

“Well Gee, I never asked to be culled by the wraith. Or crash land in the ocean, but here we are! We might as well be stranded on Caladan for all we know, no rescue is coming.” she paused.

“I guess you’re stuck with me, unless our truce is over. “she said.

Winter struggled to stand, still recovering from the shock of being drowned, the wind conspired to knock him forward into the human. She was fearless, or maybe she had a death wish. What should he do with a human who showed no fear of wraith? His efforts at intimidation had gone unnoticed and he took too much time to respond.

“Time for me to face the music then.” she said.

“Face the…Never mind, I suggest that we reconvene on whether or not to dissolve this truce when we are both dry and fully clothed, unless you would prefer to be feed upon now and end your miserable existence.”

The human backed away slowly at that cutting remark, watching him as she should. With the eyes of prey recognizing a predator. Her fear blossomed, a sweet scent that flared into his sensor pits. All humans should fear wraith. She needed to fear him but seeing that he caused her fear left him strangely hollow.

As humiliated as he was in his need for a rescuer, she had risked her own life to help him. Despite the fact that he was wraith, and how had he repaid her? Scaring her into silence. Winter took in a cleansing breath, the deep chill coming in taking the place of his ire. It was time to repay the incredible debt he owed.

“It is too dark for you to see, yes? I will search for a dry place to shelter in, remain here.” His voice had sharpened, commanding more than he should. He walked away, ready to find a dry place to shelter in for the rest of the night.

He traveled a short distance inland, leaving the human behind before she could respond. It was hard to make out much in the distance despite his supreme night vision. His pupils dilated fully to take in any scrap of light. The beach stretched out for hundreds of meters, sloping up toward towering cliffs. Jagged rocks where scattered throughout, chipped away, washed gray by the sea. A moss-covered forest lay beyond the beach far above them. He turned back to the find human where he’d left her, standing by the shore shivering in place. He offered his hand to her.

“Will you allow me to guide you?” his tone softened.

She hesitated, looking to his hand then up to his face. It would take much for any human to trust a wraith. He hadn’t done much to build any confidence in their truce, the opposite in fact. He waited patiently for her to take that step. She placed her hand into his, and he began to guide her along gently toward the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm gonna try and get the next couple chapters out tonight or tomorrow, after that it might take me some more time to get the rest of the story done. I'll try to give you guys some more info on both of the characters and what they are going through. Thank you all for your support and kudos peeps. 
> 
> (BTW cleverman is the term used by wraith to describe their scientists)


	3. Hot Flip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title is in honor of my first beta bae MegForPeace

The wraith quietly took the lead in finding shelter while Amber hung onto the wraith as he helped up her from the beach into the forest. Her limbs were heavy, all the adrenaline from the day poured out like gasoline, until she was running on empty. Her half-drowned accomplice seemed no worse for wear from all that had happened, trudging forward. He held onto her forearm tightly, claws digging in just enough to be uncomfortable. He kept her close, as if she would run away at the first chance. Amber would have fallen several times if his grip on her hadn’t been so secure.

Walking on the beach bare foot had been okay, but after they got to the woods every twig and pebble tripped her. When she stumbled, the wraith lifted her up, bringing her upright without so much as a grunt. Wind gusts made the forest come alive with movement, whipping stray branches into her face. Amber’s arms took the brunt of the lashing. When the wraith saw what she was doing he slowed his pace, lifting the branches away until she cleared them.

They continued deeper into the forest until the wraith came to the base of a gigantic tree. The smooth roots of the tree began 4 feet above the ground and draped over the side of a boulder. The result was a cavernous space shielded from the elements.

“Take shelter here, I will be back shortly” he said, leaving her alone before she had the chance to ask where he was going.  
Amber sagged, kneeling down to the small opening of the roots and crawled inside. The tiny space didn’t permit much beyond kneeling hunched over or lying down.

The dirt inside was dusty, so at least it was dry.

She took off the rest of her clothes and tucked them to the side to dry out. Now only in her underwear, soaked, she curled up on herself holding in any remaining bit of warmth. She heard more than saw the wraith come back. He had found some leafy branches to cover the entrance of the shelter, shielding them from the storm outside. She’d half expected that he’d left her for good, she couldn’t blame him if he’d wanted to. Being stuck with a clumsy human couldn’t be all that appealing.

He continued to surprise her as he took off his pants and boots, stripping down to the wraith equivalent of black boxer briefs. Dumbly, she had just stared wide-eyed, watching him undress. He looked up from his pile of clothes and froze. 

“Is this alright? I don’t relish the idea of finding my own shelter, but I can leave…”

“No, no it’s alright.” She answered too quickly and did her best to turn away and give him some privacy. 

He was way, way too naked, and he was staying here with her. She went completely still as her stomach gave a few flips. 

He crawled into the shelter next to her, brushing up against her legs and back. He kept his back to her while lying on his side, wiggling and inching away from her. It didn’t stop the skin on skin contact and as he settled, she could feel pointed spines press into her back. The vertebrae in his back were sharp!?

“I don’t mean to be rude but, you’re poking me, do you think you could, turn around?” she said, cringing at the breathy-ness of her voice.   
Lying down half naked with a total stranger was a whole new level of awkward. She briefly wondered if staying out in the rain would be more comfortable. He mumbled an apology and turned over, facing her back. He wiggled a bit more and stopped with a heavy sigh.

“Can I, will you permit me to…” he spoke, leaving an unknown question hanging between them. Amber wasn’t really sure what he could be asking for. Permit what? Not like she had a lot of say in what he did or didn’t do. 

“Sure, do whatever you need to get comfortable. Besides kicking me out, not that I’d be able to stop you. I mean you could toss me out anytime it’s just…”

“Be silent.” he said gently laying an arm across her waist. Holding her breath, her body went still as the wraith pulled her close, molding his larger body over hers. Resting his head on her shoulder, he pressed himself snug against her entire body. She was pretty sure she had stopped breathing and died, taking a trip straight into the twilight zone. His breathing became steady, brushing against her ear, and she could feel his chest rise and fall. 

At first, she was frozen in disbelief. Gradually and much to her surprise, she relaxed and let herself be held. The weight of anxiety, terror and exhaustion she’d fought through since the wraith spaceship, melted away as she drifted off to sleep.

////////

It was surreal, lying down huddled against a human. The closest Winter ever came to humans was during feeding. Or to subdue in the culling of the human herd. It was strange, and to his growing realization, not entirely unpleasant. Once he got past the awkwardness of the damp skin against skin. The girl finally stopped shivering and relaxed slipping into oblivion, and now slept soundly. Winter had slept as well, being a wraith, he only needed a few hours rest. He decided to stay in their shelter until the storm cleared. If he was being honest, he didn’t mind wrapping himself around his personal little furnace. 

His whole body ached with cold as he willed the icy water in his veins to move. It would do little harm to steal the excess body heat that seemed to be radiating from the human’s small frame. Her warmth seeped into his skin as he curled himself around her, relishing the contact while he could. If only his hive mates could see him now, clinging to a human for warmth. He felt a bit hysterical at the thought of being found out, letting his head rest lightly against her shoulder.

Eventually, the rain outside slowed to a trickle, it was time to get out and see if anything could be salvaged at the beach. Winter crawled out of the shelter, pulling on his damp pants and boots. The clothes stuck to his skin. The girl kept on sleeping, unaware of his departure. The sky was faint with pre-dawn light, casting the forest floor in an eerie glow. Winter came out of the tree line and climbed back down to the shore, traveling with ease now that he didn’t have a downpour blocking his view. He arrived quickly to see that debris of all types lay strewn across the sand. Fallen trees and large boulders were thrown up along the shoreline tossed in haphazard lines. Seabirds screeched and dove along as the waves came in, lapping up calmly in a soothing rhythm. Little signs of wreckage from the cruiser could be seen. A support pylon from the cruiser jut halfway out of the sand, it was over 30 feet long.

It didn’t take him long to find what he was looking for, among the debris lay the corpses from the enemy ship. Winter sighed, looking out over the remains of the cruiser and its occupants. It was a terrible waste, wraith fighting each other, letting old alliances crumble. All the infighting solved nothing and had only given their true enemies time to gather strength. Queen Death had united many adoring followers, bent on self-annihilation and conquest. This young Queen had gathered a powerful alliance, the strongest since the awakening of all the wraith 6 years ago. Inevitably, she had been destroyed by the Lanteans like so many other queens, her surviving allies splintered again. 

He went down and grabbed what he needed from the bodies, trying his best not to let the stench of saltwater get to him. He gathered the bundle of supplies, walking along the seashore combing the beach for anything useful. 

Out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of movement. Sliding down to the ground without an ounce of grace, he ducked under a nearby washed up log. Slowly, he peeked over the cover to see what had caught his attention. 

Several enemy wraith stood about 100 yards away, picking through the wreckage. They were fortunate enough to have survived the crash, for the most part seeming unscathed. Unfortunately for him, he seriously doubted he’d be able to avoid them on the trek to the stargate. One of the men turned to face him, sending Winter ducking under cover again. His heart was throbbing, its panicked beat pulsing in his ears. If he was spotted, he was dead, there was no way he could fight them all off.

There was no way he could fight period. 

He could feel them reaching out telepathically, tentatively pushing against his mental shields. Attempting to break the surface and become fully aware of his presence and his exact location. Winter let out a few heavy breaths as he focused his will into obscuring his place on the beach. They knew he was somewhere nearby, if only they could see how close. Brushing off their advances, like fingertips being pushed away from his face, he was able to conceal himself. 

He stayed crouched, hiding for what seemed like forever, waiting for them to give up and leave. He crept back up and looked out to make sure they had gone. They’d left the beach. If they had any sense of where the gate was, they would be heading straight into the forest. Into the path of his half naked little savior hidden inside their dusty shelter. 

Swearing under his breath, he left the beach and cautiously made his way back up into the forest. Slowly, agonizingly, he moved with all the stealth he could muster. Watching both with his eyes and with his mind for intruders. Would she still be there? Had they found her? Why should he care? There were too many questions he needed to ask her, he needed to reach her before the others. 

/////////

Amber woke, inching her way out of the now open shelter. Her neck and shoulder were bent at a stilted angle overnight. Creaking like a tin man, she unfolded herself and stood up in the sunlight. In the small clearing ahead sat the, now fully clothed, wraith prisoner. Various items laid spread out on the ground before him, he looked to be deep in thought. A few feet away lay a pair of boots and a small pile of mixed apparel. She turned without a word, quickly putting on the still damp clothes. Wraith clothes. Better than being naked, but she couldn’t help but wonder where he got them. It was all too baggy of course; she did her best to fasten everything tightly so it wouldn’t fall out of place. 

“Good morning, and... thanks. For the clothes.” she said weakly. 

He glanced up briefly, acknowledging her thanks with a nod. 

“I couldn’t have you walking around naked, now could I. It will be quite some time before we reach the stargate. You’ll need good boots too, do those fit you?” His voice trailed off. It was one of the most amiable things he’d said to her yet. 

“Wait, you said when we reach the stargate.” she said walking over, kneeling down next to him. 

“Yes, I did, that’s assuming you want to join me.” he adjusted the cuffs of his new-found jacket distractedly, taking another quick glance toward her and away again. He looked so different in the daylight, no longer a menacing figure drifting along the corridors of a dark ship. His high cheekbones cut sharply, lining up with a strong jawline. The green pallor of skin was odd, but not ugly. Normally, he towered over her, but sitting down like this he looked…

It struck her, he seemed just like any normal guy. Once you got past the alien part. And he seemed nervous, but why? 

“Look, we’re going to have to talk about how this is going to work, and honestly I’m not entirely convinced we should stick together. I’m not sure I can even trust you, or that you won’t feed on me.” she stated. He whipped his head back toward her. That got his attention.

“I have had many opportunities to feed on you already” he tilted his head to the side.

“Well, that’s not very reassuring.” She said flatly. 

“It would be...you would be.” He stopped looking away again, at a loss for what to say. 

“Look, whatever your name is. First, what do I even call you?” she asked.

“It would be difficult to explain, wraith, do not have names so much as a feeling of who they are. We don’t title ourselves arbitrarily like humans do.” 

“So, what would that feeling be then? What would describe you?”

How could you encapsulate the whole of a person with one word?

He paused “If you were wraith, you would see me as a calm winter night with snow cushioning all sound. Still and cold.”

“Huh, sounds bleak. Why don’t I just call you Winter?” she said, he tilted his head again. She couldn’t help but give in to a small smile as the wraith processed what she’d asked, like a professor trying to solve a baffling equation. 

“That name will do I suppose, what is your name?”

“Amber” 

“Well Amber, which planet are you from? I know by the way you act you could not be from Enithia, the planet from which you were culled. You don’t seem to possess a natural fear of wraith like you should.” now it was her turn to be at a loss for what to say.

If she revealed that she was a lantean scientist, there was a good chance he’d turn on her. Right now, all the wraith must be feeling pretty sore about losing Queen Death, especially her followers. If she lied to him and he found her out later though, how would he react?

“You’re probably not gonna like my answer either way so I’ll just tell you the truth. I’m from Earth. I’m a scientist, part of the Atlantis expedition.”   
She held her breath, letting her confession sink in. 

“I’m surprised that you would tell me the truth, and... I thank you for it.”

“Yeah no worries. That doesn’t, ya know, set off any alarm bells or anything? We lanteans have been kicking wraith ass ever since we got to Pegasus.”   
His brows furrowed together “Kicking wraith ass?”

“I mean well...” she felt all too familiar heat creeping up into her checks. Real eloquent Amber, why don’t you insult his mother while you’re at it. Instead of being offended at the wording however, he began to chuckle.

“Yes, I can’t deny that your people have put up a brave fight in opposing us, as many others have before and will again in the centuries to come. Tell me, how do you feel about your leaders allying themselves to the wraith?” 

Well, that’s not the response she was expecting. She’d been expecting hostility. Maybe an evil monologue about how all humans are doomed or that they will be their death blah blah blah. 

That’s what Colonel Shepherd had said they talked like anyway. It was nice that at least in Winter’s case he was wrong. 

“I haven’t been in the city of Atlantis as long as most people there, but I think in the long run it’s the only solution to stopping more people from losing their lives needlessly, on both sides. Especially if peace is on the table.” she stopped, taking a moment to gather her thoughts.

“People on both sides” he said softly, looking out into the distance. 

Amber wasn’t sure how much further she should go with this. Her personal opinions on the ongoing conflict with the wraith weren’t important right now.  
It wouldn’t matter if she couldn’t get back home. 

“Amber, in the interest of promoting this alliance between wraith and lanteans, let us work together. We will be better equipped as a group to tackle any obstacles on the way to the stargate.” 

“Okay, I can make it work if you’re willing. Any idea where to start? “she asked blinking a few times. Maybe if she stuck with him, she’d actually survive this ordeal. 

“From what I could tell, the stargate should be north of here. It will take several days to reach it.” his shoulders sagged. 

“We have no food or water; it will be a difficult journey.” he said. His lips pressed into a thin line at the statement. 

“So, I won’t be able to eat for a few days, not like I couldn’t stand to lose a bit of weight. Looks like water is abundant, so that shouldn’t be a problem either. Why do you look so worried?”

“There are other survivors, wraith from the cruiser that crashed. We must avoid them at all costs.”

Amber’s sat up straight, eyes widening. 

“We will certainly encounter them, and we will need to prepare for when that time comes. For now, we should start moving.”   
With that he stood up to his full height, reaching down to lend her a hand.

Last night the wraith, no Winter, seemed so pissed that she’d gone and saved him. Now he acted like a perfect gentleman, regal smock coat and all. And he thanked her for telling the truth. Maybe they would be able to get along after all. 

“Um, thanks. Why don’t you take the lead?” she said.

“Very well”. He turned, gathering his supplies and started making his way through the brush, finding the natural winding path of the woods. Amber rubbed her hands absently as she followed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed! This chapter was a little bit filler and the next one probably will be too sry :C


	4. Snakes and Bacteria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The long march to the stargate began. Amber’s feet squelched inside her wet boots as she trudged along. Despite her muscles shaking with the strain of the past day she pushed forward.
> 
> (My grandma picked the title this week...)

The long march to the stargate began. Amber’s feet squelched inside her wet boots as she trudged along. Despite her muscles shaking with the strain of the past day she pushed forward. 

For the most part they moved along quietly, keeping close watch for anyone else nearby. The silence between them made her a bit nervous, there were so many unanswered questions that she was dying to ask. 

Between mentally debating how to approach Winter in conversation and resolving to stay quiet, she was busy navigating through the dense ferns and forest undergrowth.

Unlike the handful of tropical regions on the alien planets she and her fellow science team had traveled to, this planet was mild and temperate. It was a relief to have a fresh breeze instead of stifling humidity. It made climbing the steep ravines and gullies a bit easier. 

Huge trees dominated the horizon, their lower hanging branches coated with a thick carpet of moss. Fallen trees, bigger in girth than a car, occasionally dotted the landscape. Saplings grew along the top of their fallen trunks, taking root in any sunny spot that could be found.

Later in the afternoon, she needed a break and called for Winter to stop.   
He sat down on a tree stump across from the log she had slumped onto while she caught her breath. 

“Sorry, you probably could get to the gate much faster without me tagging along.” she winced at the thought of being left behind.

“Do not trouble yourself, the pace you have set it fine. I am in no hurry to catch up with my enemies.” he said. He got up and paced around the small clearing, one hand reaching to rub his neck.

“How’d you end up captive on their ship anyway? Well I mean you don’t have to tell me; we don’t have to talk about it. If you don’t want to. How determined are these guys to find you?” She chewed on her bottom lip to stop herself from talking.

Winter stopped his pacing for a moment.

“I was…sent to gather information regarding their hive. I was able to successfully infiltrate and become assimilated within their crew for a short time. But my ulterior motives were discovered. As you could imagine, they did not take kindly to being spied upon.”

“You were their prisoner, and they were torturing you for information.” That was the gruesome conclusion she’d come to, but there had to be more to it. 

Winter’s face turned sour, “It may have started out that way, but there are easier ways to gather intelligence without resorting to, mutilation.”

Winter turned away from her, growing quieter with each word. 

“I’m sorry, it must have been unbearable. I don’t think I’d be able to stand something like that.” From what she could tell, Winter had been strapped down, without any hope of rescue. He was looking out into the distance, as if looking back in on the memory. She wasn’t sure how Wraith psychology worked, but a trauma like that wasn’t going to be forgotten in a day. 

“It is a fate I would not wish on anyone; you killed him, did you know that?” 

“I, no I didn’t. I’ve never killed anyone before. He was a sadistic son of a bitch but still, I’d rather not have anyone’s blood on my hands…” 

It was unreal, how easy it had been. She expected some wave of guilt or nausea to come over her, but she felt nothing. 

“I don’t think it’s hit me yet.” she said.

“You saved my life. If you had not killed him when you did, I would not be here traveling with you now.” Winter started walking away, straightening his coat he called out, “You should rest for a while longer, perhaps I can find something for us to eat. Please, don’t continue on until I return.”

She nodded as winter took off, again, deeper into the forest and vanished into the shadow cast by the canopy above. The air was filled with sounds of birds chirping and dead limbs creaking softly. It was peaceful. Aside from the fact that she was stranded, this planet was downright pleasant. It might be a great place to visit once she was out of danger. And had enough rations to last a week. 

Winter returned with his shirt filled to the brim with purple berries, gingerly taking a seat next to her. He popped a few berries in his mouth, letting out a little exhale as he chewed up the fruit. Amber stared at him.

“You’re... eating?” she said

“How very observant of you.”

She furrowed her brow, trying to parse out what she heard about wraith from fact and rumor, and whether they could eat food or not. 

“Won’t eating make you sick? Are those berries even safe to eat?”

“No, I cannot bear to live anymore and have now decided to poison myself.” He said flatly with a blank face. 

The joke was in poor taste really, terrible. She couldn’t help but huff out a laugh though. 

He smiled, tossing in handfuls of more berries into his mouth.

“You best eat some before they’re all gone.” 

Amber came out of her muddling thoughts long enough to bury both hands into the huge pile of fruit. Shoving in several at once, they were bursting with sweetness.   
The berries were too good to last long and left them both with sticky fingers and lopsided smiles. 

/////////

By evening they began walking through a meadow that was slowly turning into a swamp. Amber’s oversized boots were caked with mud, it also stuck to her pants and along the bottom of Winter’s coat. She was covered in sweat, causing her shoulder length hair to cling onto the back of her neck and shoulders. What she wouldn’t give for a hairband right now. Rotting leaves and stagnant water overpowered her sense of smell, all that could be done was to get through the muck and toward the next hillside as quickly as possible. 

Ahead of her, Winter let out a few terse comments at no one in particular. Mostly about all the stench that would linger on them.   
Sighing, Amber did her best to keep up.

“You never told me how you were able to escape and come across me on the ship, how did you find the laboratory where I was being held?” Winter asked.

She stopped and gave him an incredulous look at the back of his head. 

“No mystery there, I was culled and I got free from my cocoon, thing.” 

“I gathered as much from what you’ve told me. Getting out of the holding cells is problematic however, believe me I’ve tried.”

“Well, I was about to be killed in cold blood like all the people around me. Just dumb luck I guess; and the arrogant bastard about to murder me just left me untied. Apparently, he didn’t think I was smart enough to try and get the hell out of there.” She snapped back.

Recounting her tale hadn’t put her in the best mood. She was powerless to stop the wraith from killing the innocent people that hung captive beside her. Guilt over their deaths washed over her with a sinking feeling. It’d made everything Amber had read in mission briefs and stories she’d heard all too real now. If the wraith hadn’t been called away, she would’ve died like so many millions before her. 

Although her account to Winter was truthful, she probably should’ve just kept her mouth shut. 

Winter remained silent for what seemed like hours. He didn’t offer any excuses or tried to rationalize his fellow wraiths’ behavior, which she was grateful for. He was just as guilty, they all were, using those people to extend their own lives. She rubbed her sweaty palms against the damp fabric at her sides. He’d just let her vent at him, and he’d taken it. 

This in turn had ended the friendly atmosphere from the afternoon, creating a tense silence broken only by frustrated comments toward the horrid pit they were now dragging themselves through. 

With a loud sucking pop Amber’s foot slipped out of her boot, launching her leg into mud up to her calf. With a groan she twisted back to try to rescue her lost boot. Winter stopped, turning back to watch with full attention as she heaved her boot out of the swamp, and losing her balance, fell ass first into the deep mire.

“Oh my God! Jesus!” she shouted, fisting up the ruined boot and throwing it away with all her might. It landed a few inches away.   
Attempting to brush the bangs off her forehead had her slicking her hair back with clumps of dirt. With another long-suffering sigh, she crawled onto her hands and knees in another attempt to get out of the pit. She fell backwards, again, her other foot coming free of her other boot, now knee deep in mud. 

Winter, who watched her embarrassing dilemma unfold, burst out laughing. Amber had never heard a wraith laugh before. Huffed out with that strange modulation of the voice all wraith possessed. It was infectious, however. With a valiant effort she tried to give him a death glare, smiling as she gave in, laughing hysterically. 

The laughter rocked her sore muscles, leaving exhaustion in its wake. She just wanted it to be over, before she lost what little wits she had.   
The beating sun was getting to her. Winter sloshed back over to where she was now sunk thigh deep in the mud and plopped down next to her.   
It occurred to her that maybe since he was much taller maybe he should try and shield her from the burning sun hanging low in the sky. 

Almost at the thought he angled himself to do just that. 

Winter had stopped laughing, quickly putting back on a somber face. This little fiasco had broken the tension somewhat, allowing the root of some question arise. 

“Why did you save me?” His tone wasn’t accusatory or malicious. He looked down at her like he was seeing her for the first time, a person instead of his next meal.   
It was unsettling, locking her in place. 

“If you truly hate what the wraith have done, what am I to you, why save my life? I am just a culpable as all other wraith.” 

“You’re asking me why I saved you? Shit I hardly know myself!”

“That is not satisfactory.” He tilted his head eyes narrowing. 

“You really want to know? Does it even matter at this point? What’s done is done.”

“If I didn’t want to know I wouldn’t have asked. And yes, it does matter. It matters a great deal.” He waited for her to answer.

Amber let out a yet another sigh, “Look I thought that maybe...I didn’t know you were a wraith at first okay! I just thought you were another person that needed help.   
It was stupid, I shouldn’t have even attempted trying to save anyone.” 

“Yes, that was stupid,” He nodded, as she rolled her eyes, “but when you saw me lying there you knew what I was.” 

“I still couldn’t let that guy just go on torturing you! I had the power to act and so I did. How could I leave you there when I could help!?” 

They both sat quietly for a while, even though all she wanted to do was pull herself up and get the hell out of the mud hole she was sitting in.   
Winter seemed to need it though, his brows were furrowed, and he examined the ground as if she’d scrawled what she’d said into it. 

“Thank you. You didn’t have to help me, but I am grateful that you did.” he spoke softly looking back up to her with a slight smile. 

That smile tugged just the corners of his mouth. It was nice. She blinked a few times. It certainly wasn’t what she was expecting. 

“Yeah, no worries.” she said turning away from his gaze. With that the gap of understanding between them grew just a bit shorter. 

Winter stood then, pulling her up to stand. With a quick search they found her boots which she decided to carry until they were over the hill and out of the swamp. He kept up a fast pace ahead of her entering into another forest. 

“I can smell fresh water, there should be a stream or river nearby. Just a little further Amber.” He called ahead encouragingly. 

She pushed forward, renewed with the thought of scrubbing off all the grim they both were covered in. She placed one foot in front of the other, mechanically and forced. She had to focus on moving forward instead of collapsing. The rush of water sounded down below a steep hill, both her and Winter slid down to get to the river’s edge. The river below was about 20 feet wide with several feet of rocky shoreline; spotted with large boulders and washed up logs.   
The smooth surface belied a deep fast flowing current. 

Winter gracefully knelt down at the water’s edge, cupping up water to gently rinse off his coat and boots. Amber walked up to the water and just kept on walking until she was waist deep, letting out a little yelp as she waded in. The river was glacially cold, stinging her overheated skin in the best way. The current cleared away all the mud plastered to her clothes and body. She turned back to see a unimpressed look on Winter’s face.

“Come on the water’s great!” she yelled. He was shaking his head at that.

Just when she thought he’d keep to the shore he stepped to the side pulling his coat and shirt off. He began folding his clothes in a neat bundle on a nearby boulder. Amber turned and swam a bit further down the river to give him some privacy. 

She did not want a repeat of the awkwardness from last night, no thank you.

“I’ll just be a little ways down, call me if you need me” she shouted back to Winter as she disappeared down the curve of the river. 

Flipping to turn onto her back, she let her limbs relax, going limp like a wet noodle. Eyes drifting shut and ears dipping under the surface, she listened with passing interest at the muffled sounds of the woods around her. She just needed a few minutes to rest, just a few to let go of the tension that made her jaw sore.

When Amber returned minutes later, she found that Winter had a fire going up higher on the bank of the river with a short pile of gathered firewood. He watched her climb out of the water with a raised eyebrow, looking less than impressed at her recklessness. 

“I was just starting to think that you were fairly intelligent. Drifting away downstream alone was dangerous.” He spoke evenly, his stiff posture clearly communicating his disapproval. 

“I don’t sense anything nearby, wraith or otherwise but we cannot become careless.” He calmly explained as if she was indeed very dim. He removed his coat in short, swift movements and sat down and reclining against a nearby boulder. 

Shit, she’d somehow lost track of the fact that there were an unknown number of other wraith in the forest, probably hungry. 

“Sorry, I wasn’t thinking.” she started to bite at her bottom lip, as she made a lame apology. 

“What is it you said? What’s done is done. Come sit by the fire, I’d figured you’d need to warm up after plunging into the river. We’ll need to stay here tonight so we can both dry off and rest.” He said. 

She rung out her clothes and coat, but they were still sopping wet. She hadn’t really thought that far ahead.

“Don’t suppose you…” Winter tossed over a set of dry clothes from his pack. “Thanks, it’s like you read my mind.” she joked. He didn’t look up from the fire.   
Before she turned to go behind a nearby boulder to change she had a thought that gave her pause. 

Winter was always too quick to know exactly what she needed, even before she asked. 

“Wait, you can’t read my mind, right?”

It’d be way, way too creepy if he had been listening in on her thoughts this whole time.

“No, I cannot read your thoughts but, I am somewhat aware of how you are feeling at times. I can sense changes in your mood through your scent.” he said simply like it was the most normal thing in the world. 

“Uh, so how does that work exactly?” she sat down unceremoniously against a nearby log with a sneaking suspicion she wasn’t really going to ever be able look him in the eye again. 

He pointed to the sensor pits on his face, “Wraith have a highly developed sense of smell with which we can discern many things. Usually I can pick up on heightened emotions like stress and fear. Along with more subtle things like irritation, or embarrassment.” 

“I wouldn’t really call being embarrassed subtle.” she was blushing again, damn.

“No, I suppose you’re right, at least in your case.” he smirked. He could see right through her. It was a good thing she’d decided to just be honest with him.   
He’d probably know if she was lying. 

“Well that’s great and all but would you mind, not sensing stuff about me? It’s kinda weird.” 

“I really don’t have that kind of control over it.” he said

Amber sighed, sitting down across from him and holding her knees to her chest.

“I’m sorry, I’ll try to do what I can to respect your privacy.” he said

“It’s fine okay, just weird…” 

“You say that a lot”

“What weird? I mean yeah after all the shit that’s happened the past couple days.”

“You say that a lot too, shit” he said 

She nearly choked on nothing as he parroted her crass words back to her. 

“Yeah, probably should stop doing that, I am representing all the humans back on earth, can’t be giving the best impression.”

“I don’t mind” he said simply, “It isn’t nearly as vulgar as most of the cursing I’ve heard, and I have more than my share.”

“And this whole mind, pheromones, thing isn’t weird for you?” 

“You do know my entire race is telepathic? I’ve known wraith that haven’t spoken aloud in over 100 years.” 

“Really!?”

“No.” he shook his head chuckling. 

“Just try not to let it bother you alright. Not that there is much I care to see” he said 

“Hey! I have plenty of cool stuff in here.” She protested, poking the side of her head to emphasis her point. 

“Whatever you say, I can’t really read your mind”

“Well if you can, don’t.”

Amber relaxed, letting her gaze drift to the dwindling fire. She had made things awkward again, and she was too tired to attempt to fix it.   
Her stomach squeezed tightly with hunger. How long had it been since she’d last eaten a decent meal? So much had happened in the past few days, her head ached just thinking about it.

A few minutes of quiet passed between them before Winter spoke up. 

“You said you are a scientist? What do you study?” He asked. She hesitated a moment before answering. There really couldn’t be any harm in telling him, right?

“I’m an entomologist, I study biological science. Specifically, insects.” He nodded for her to continue. 

“My team and I have been collecting and cataloging all types of new species for study. Trying to protect our food supply from pests. Trust me it’s a lot more interesting than it sounds.”

“I believe you, please continue.” he was earnest at least, although she found it hard to comprehend anyone other than her team wanting to know about her work. She explained her research and what had been discovered, going off into various tangents about her work and missions she deemed safe to talk about. She’d gained a second wind, talking about her work always seemed to energize her. 

After a while she asked, “What about you? What do you, do? He stiffened, remaining silent. Had she crossed an unseen line? It was hard to tell. He wasn’t obligated to tell her anything, but she still hoped he would. She waited and when it seemed he wouldn’t answer he spoke.

“I am more particular to studying the physical sciences and ancient technology, but I serve as a blade aboard my hive, a soldier. It’s, complicated. I’ve never had to explain it to a human before.” he said.

“Can I ask you questions then? Seems only fair. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want. But it might make things easier.” Winter paused again before nodding in agreement.

“Ask, I will answer what I can.” She quickly got changed and settled in for the night. They both talked on well after dark. Amber did her best to ask about topics that weren’t too sensitive, and Winter took his time before each answer he gave. 

“How old are you?”

Winter tossed his head side to side for a moment, as if trying to jog his memory. Amber couldn’t help but smile at such a disarming little gesture. 

“Approximately 900 years.” 

“You don’t know for sure?”

“After so many centuries I’ve lost track, and most of that time I spent in hibernation.” 

“How long do you hibernate?”

“Usually 300 years, but that has not always been the case for wraith.” Winter gave a long pause after that, seemingly struggling with how much to divulge. 

“I have been awake almost 80 years and slept 10 times that amount; from what I understand, in the beginning the cycles were shorter and the waking cycle was longer, 30 to 50 years or more. The last waking cycle was the shortest, only 12 years.” He paused, repositioning himself closer toward her. 

“As you know, our current cycle was interrupted 50 years too early. This early awaking was both a blessing and a curse; many more would have died before the appointed end of hibernation, never waking again. But our, “territories” we gather from didn’t have enough time to replenish to a sustainable level.”

They both fell silent. Winter was more open than she’d dared hope. 

Amber was starting to get a better understanding about how precarious this whole cycle was, and why the conflict between the expedition and the newly awakened wraith was especially fierce. Some of the hives were probably just fighting to survive. 

“What about your hive? Do you think they’ll actually join the alliance?” she asked

“You ask so many questions, I had no idea lanteans were so curious about wraith, beyond finding new ways to attack us.” He cocked his head to the side. His expression softened; he was smiling again.

“Thank you for answering them.” she couldn’t help but clear her throat a few times. 

Amber was exhausted but she had hung on as long as possible, not sure if Winter would ever be this talkative again. 

“Your welcome, it is late, and you should rest, I will take the first watch.” 

Amber’s eyelids hung half-mast, heavy. She laid down next to the fire, the ground was hard and uncomfortable, but she was too tired to care.

///////

Amber woke up sometime later with a jolt, jumping straight into an adrenaline rush without really knowing why. 

She remained frozen to the spot where she’d laid down to sleep, taking in her surroundings and trying to find the cause of the sudden shock she was feeling.   
The fire was almost out, casting deep shadows and Winter wasn’t anywhere to be found. Amber slowly knelt up from her spot on the ground and began looking up and around to find him. 

Was it just her imagination? She thought back to her stupidly shouting earlier and determined to stay as silent as possible. Her core pulsed with ice, and a pit of cold started to grow in her stomach. 

Something dangerous was close by, in the pitch black of the forest surrounding the riverbed. 

She saw a figure in the shadows unhurriedly materialize.

A hulking wraith solider crept out of the darkness toward her, not bothering to hide his approach. 

Shit shit shit! She felt herself begin to freeze in panic again.

Finally, Amber snapped out of her surprise and hurriedly picked up a nearby rock, brandishing it and ready to fight off the wraith. The rational part of her knew it would be pointless to run. Maybe she could jump back in the river?

The wraith laughed, “Do not try to resist, and I will make this quick human.”

“Sorry, I’m gonna have to take a hard pass on that.” She said, gritting her teeth as she slowly backed away from him.

“Then this will not be quick, time to die!” he growled out as he lunged toward her, narrowly missing her as she jumped haphazardly to the side and into the now freezing river. 

She moved urgently and without finesse waist deep into the water as he reached out and grabbed her, clutching her arms against her torso. Amber struggled and tried to drop down away from him with her dead weight but it was no use. 

He’d caught her. 

Something inside Amber shattered, her control and reasoning fled as she started to scream. She screamed so strongly her voice cracked as she screamed herself hoarse. 

He pulled her up back onto the shore and hurled her against a nearby tree. He was poised to strike before being tackled to the ground by Winter. She was left catching her balance, clutching against the tree and trying not to fall.

It took Amber a moment to realize it was indeed Winter attacking the creep, tussling on the ground just a few feet away. She looked on as the they wrestled against each other on the ground. In the blink of an eye a dagger appeared, they fought for it, and then it was over.

Winter shot up from the ground, quickly sheathing the dagger and walking up the few steps to Amber. He grasped her arms and did his best to examine her for injuries, but she was unresponsive. She couldn’t look away from the dead body on the ground, his inky blood spilling out on the stones. 

Winter gently gripped the back of her neck and head, trying to get her to look away without too much force. 

“Are you alright!? Say something, Amber!” He frantically continued searching for injuries while he waited for her to respond.   
He stopped when tears started spilling down her cheeks. 

“Where the hell were you? What happened?” she croaked out as her chin started trembling.

“There were two of them, I couldn’t risk taking them both on at the same time. I had to circle around and cut off one before taking on the other.” He breathed out heavily, still trying to catch his breath from running over from wherever he was. 

She nodded numbly in response; his reasoning was sound, rational. But she wasn’t feeling very rational at the moment.

“He could’ve killed me.”

Winter still held onto her as she began shaking in earnest, she was still processing all of the other recent near-death experiences and this was the last straw.   
Her composure was crumbling. Winter moved in closer doing his best to shield her from the sight of the dead wraith on the ground nearby. 

“I wouldn’t let that happen.” Winter tried to sooth her as some choked off sobs escaped her. 

“Please don’t leave, not without telling me. Please, if you need to split just tell me.” She gasped out, squeezing her eyes tightly shut. 

“I’m not going anywhere. Can you do something for me? Just breathe with me, in and out. Breathe Amber.” He said as calmly as he could, coming down from the rush he felt during the fight. 

Amber gripped the front of his coat as Winter took in a long, exaggerated breath, gradually coaxing her away from hyperventilating. In a slight. unhurried movement, he lay his forehead against her own. 

They stood there quietly as the minutes passed, the two of them hanging onto each other, just breathing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter, it was hell to write and I'm still not happy with it :P   
> I'm trying to build up their friendship and more while trying to fit in some exposition and world building.

**Author's Note:**

> So what do y'all think? If anyone wants me to continue with this I have a few more chapters outlined for this story, so let me know in the comments. Any suggestions or criticism is welcome, thanks for reading.


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